PUDDIN'

A LITTLE  “PUDDIN” OF YOUR OWN…

For those of you who can easily become smitten with the mere thought of a talented chef’s cuisine you’d be willing to follow them around the DMV, “Puddin’ just might be the ultimate culinary temptation to get you on the hunt.  Puddin' is a mobile food truck specializing in Louisiana cuisine that can be located on Facebook and Twitter.  

Now I've parleyed with many  Louisianan’s and New Orleanian’s who absolutely refuse to eat anything promoted as Louisianan cuisine outside of that State’s borders and all of them have given in to the temptation of that famous black and pink truck affectionately known by Washington, D.C. foodies as “Puddin’s Divine Comfort Food”. 

THE CREATOR AND CHEF MAGNIFIQUE OF PUDDIN'

Ever since I first marveled at the sinfully luscious, tender and decadently oversized shrimp in Puddin’s legendary shrimp and grits I knew the romance would never end.  The grits are velvety and luxuriously buttery with the slightest hint of aromatic cheese, it is the food of the gods.   Odly enough though the flavorful features of Puddin' may be fit for the gods the rustic, New Orleans cuisine it celebrates is the simple food of common folk, which in haute cuisine would be called, "Peasant Style" but in American cuisine is referred to as "Comfort Food".

When my taste buds received the first blessings of flavor from the Oyster Po Boy I ordered today I realized that sinfully delicious food was in fact a very good thing.  Now the traditional hard baguette had been replaced with a soft roll and the oysters were covered with a spicy tomato based version of remoulade sauce and topped with shredded cabbage that had been ever so lightly pickled; a much milder version of the relish typically served with Salvadorian papusas’.  These are the areas in which a talented chef can deviate from a traditional dish to infuse well-crafted and well-suited variations on a theme.  One of the joys of food trucks is that they are so tactile and intimate because you can watch your food being prepared only a few feet from the kitchen.  It is the next best thing to being able to physically interact with your food. I watched the chef fry the delicate oysters and ate my glorious Po Boy in the company of a New Orleanian who was also enjoying her shrimp Po Boy.  I suggest that you first try the Po Boy with just the oysters, lettuce, tomato and perhaps onion with the spicy sauce on the side so that you get the full infusion of juicy-fried, oyster flavor. 

MENU OF THE DAY

Like most regional cuisines the style of American Creole food varies widely throughout the region and so do the interpretive styles of the creole dishes offered by local restaurants, caterers and chefs.  What is remarkable is that a food truck such as Puddin’ has captured the soul of Louisiana cuisine in such a small space when entire restaurants have missed the mark.  I was fortunate enough to meet the creator of Puddin’ before she became a culinary icon busied with satisfying her hungry customers.  Then we had plenty of time to talk about her philosophy of food and her origins as a chef.  You can follow Puddin’ on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/toyin.alli.31?fref=ts&ref=br_tf  but do step out after drooling at the fabulous food pictures and get some Puddin’ of your own!

FIN

Written by BIGDADDY BLUES

PUDDIN'S SIGNATURE FOOD TRUCK

A GALLERY OF IMAGES